Explain this to me

March 5th, 2010, 09:35 AM

There's a three-way tie for first at the end of the tournament.

There are two cash spots.

All three players agree to play it off, which is required the PDGA Comp. Manual.

One player is eliminated after two holes. The remaining players continue. A second player is eliminated. The play off is over. The winner claims first place. The player he beat on the last play-off hole claims second place.

End of story?

Not quite. Dave Gentry, PDGA Tour Manager wrote: "In the case of a three way tie for first the second and third place finishers would show us as tied for second and would split second place money."

Explain that to me. How can you be tied for second after you were eliminated first from a three-way play off?

we usually discuss splitting before playoff, but Dave's right, you're playing for first, not 2nd and 3rd. Elimination doesn't put you in 3rd, it puts you in second, which, in this case, is split between two players.

Comment

You earned the right by finishing tied with the best score after the official tournament. In the PDGA the only result you are allowed to playoff is the winning spot. Otherwise it would take nine hours to finish every tournament, finding and sending out every set of people who tied for a cashing spot. A little weird I know, but in that scenario they are not playing off for second place, they are playing off for first... the other two would split second and third place money automatically.

Comment

You earned the right by finishing tied with the best score after the official tournament.

The official tournament isn't over until the last player has holed out. At that point you can figure out who was the best golfer according to how few throws were required to complete their assigned holes.

If one player is eliminated from a sudden death, three-way play-off that player finishes in third place. No player can claim to occupy second place when two players are tied for first. Second place means only player is ahead of you, not two. Or the term "second place" has some other meaning that I'm not aware of.

Comment

The only position to playoff for is first. All other positions split prize money regardless of number of players in playoff. Everyone else gets second. Competition manual 1.9

I've read it. It says "D. Final ties for other ranks shall be officially recorded as ties."

So when was there ever a final tie for second? At what point in time given the scenario above?

When one person is eliminated from a sudden death, three-way play-off, they aren't tied for second. Unless you've got a different definition for "second place" and you'll also need a different definition for "sudden death".

Comment

Remember, sudden death playoff is not golf, it's sudden death. You're no longer trying to play a predetermined quantity of holes in the fewest strokes. As a result, players must take greater risks to continue pushing ties to the next hole.

Imagine a scenario where player A is lying 10 feet from the basket for an easy birdie, player B hit a tree on their drive and put their approach 50 feet from the basket, and player C put their drive 35 feet from the basket for a chance at a birdie. Player B then cans a huge 50 footer that glances off a tree to go in for a 3.

Player C is now looking at his or her putt where the basket stands on the edge of a hill. The disc skips on the top of the basket and rolls down the hill and Player C ends up taking a 4.

Now it gets fun, because Player A (who has been patiently waiting for the chaos to stop so he or she can putt in for the victory) puts an easy 10 foot putt right into the cage! Now Player A and B get to continue playing off for 1st.

Should Player C get 3rd? I don't think so, they only went for that putt because the sudden death scenario forced them to do so. If they were playing golf, player C would've just taken the easy 3 and continued tying player B. Sudden death is not a measure for golf. It is a tie breaker and the players were tied for first, not second or third.